The Criminal, the Soldier, and the Scientist
by OrionP
Summary: Scarlett was born and raised on the street, always getting into trouble. Ivy was the hardworker, who learned life wasn't always easy. And Mariah, the genius who everyone expected the most out of her. What happens when they meet a certain set of Autobots?
1. Prologue

File Number #7089: Scarlett Haynes

Age: 21

Description: Red Hair/Green Eyes

Relatives: Siblings: Joshua Haynes-Unaccounted For (Missing)

Parents: Connor and Sarah Haynes (Deceased)

Crimes: Theft, Battery, Disruption of Peace, Breaking and Entering…

Notes: Considered Armed and Dangerous. Believed to be working with the Black Market

Probation Officer: John Coro

File Number #7090: Ivy Sanders

Age: 25

Description: Black Hair/Blue Eyes

Relatives: Siblings: Harry and George Sanders

Parents: Ron Sanders and Tessa Branes (Divorced)

Crimes: Petty Theft

Notes: Excellent addition to the N.E.S.T. Program

File Number #7091: Mariah Collen

Age: 22

Description: Brown Hair/Hazel Eyes

Relatives: Siblings: N/A

Parents: Jack and Mary Collen

Crimes: N/A

Notes: Excellent Addition to the N.E.S.T.

* * *

Captain William Lennox was overwhelmed. He stared at the folder in his hands, opening and closing his mouth a couple times. "Why?" he managed to get out. The man in the suit across him, shifted, amusement flashing in his eyes. "The president thought the girls would be a great addition to the N.E.S.T. program." "Including the criminal?" Will asked staring at the picture of the young woman in his hands. Her eyes were pale green, cold and distant, a dangerous glint in them. Her hair was pulled into a taught ponytail, a burning crimson that screamed blood. Her lips were twisted into a teasing smirk. All amusement drained away as the anonymous man spoke, "She's a loose cannon, and the president thought it would be good for her to gain some responsibility. This is the last straw before she ends up in federal prison for her whole life." Surprise was the last word Will was feeling. "Why has the president given her so any chances?" The man stood up abruptly, Will stood up with him, raising an eyebrow. "That's confidential." The man spoke coolly. Will nodded. "Keep the files, it'll help get to know them." With that, the man walked briskly away, leaving Captain Lennox with the folders of the criminal, the soldier, and the scientist.


	2. Chapter 1

Scarlett Haynes watched quietly as the men argued behind the glass door. She smiled, flicking the handcuffs in her hands, trying to see how long she can twirl them around her finger before they fall. 20 seconds. 30 seconds. Almost a minute before the door opened, breaking Scarlett's concentration from the cuffs. The man looked at her handcuffs sitting nicely on her lap. "I got bored," she stated. His gaze shifted to the leather-clad feet on his desk. The boots were good boots honestly, steel toed, small, sharp studs lined in the small heel. The only downfall was they were covered in mud, currently leaving a trail of it on his desk. He sneered at them before settling behind the desk, knocking the boots effectively off. Scarlett grinned at him, before shifting to face him. "How you doin' Coro?" she asked.

John Coro ran a hand down his face. He looked tired and defeated. "You are facing some serious charges Scarlett." She smirked at him, "Don't I know it?" "This isn't a game." "Never said it was." She grinned brazenly at him, again twirling the handcuffs around her index finger. John scowled at her, before he softened. "Why are you doing this Scar?" Scarlett noticed the change in mood and the grin slipped of her face. Now by no means was John a stupid man. He knew what lines to cross, and not to cross. He was also used to the changes of attitude from Scarlett. A second ago, she was smiling, her emerald green eyes flaring. Now, she was cold. Her eyes had snuffed the fire, leaving pale green ice.

Her lips pressed together, forming a sharp line. "You don't know anything." Her voice was emotionless and cutting. John knew he was crossing the line, but he had enough of seeing her in his office. "I know a lot of things actually. Like how your daddy was a mercenary for the black market and a killer. I also know he and your mama were killed by the same people he worked for." While he was talking, he noticed the slight changes in her. Her lips were now twisted in a sneer, canines showing, her hands were clenched, tension in her upper body, as if ready for a fight, and impossibly, her eyes grew even icier. But he wasn't done. "And your brother abandoned you to fend for yourself in the darkest districts around here." It was the last straw, he knew and she knew it. He knew the moment her gaze moved to the door, he knew it the moment he saw her shifting in her chair. He knew it when she lunged at him.

* * *

Ivy Sanders bit her lip, a habit she had had her whole life, as she waited for the interruption that she knew was going to happen soon. She looked around the room, to all the girls, wait not girls, women (they may as well be girls with all the giggling going on) chatting. The commotion stopped when someone said, "Officer Sanders?" Ivy stood up, causing all the gazes in the room to her. "Here, sir." She saluted whoever called her. General Monteger looked her up and down before stating at ease. Ivy dropped her hand and tracked his movements with her eyes. "Come," he stated after he swept the entire room. He turned and paraded out the door. Ivy rushed to follow him, ignoring all the questioning gazes from her colleagues. The general rarely came into the female barracks. He led her to his office, closing the door behind her after she entered.

All the professional status he held vanished, replacing it with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked. Ivy smiled, fond of how much he cared. "Yeah it was just a scratch." "Ivy, it wasn't just a scratch, you were shot." "I'll be fine, my armor protected me. Besides they were going to shoot Ronan, I had to do something." The General swept a hand through his hair gazing around the small office. "Yeah well, you aren't supposed to die trying." Ivy grinned at him, "Matt, look I am fine, and there is nothing to worry about." He didn't look convinced. She smiled at him again, before roughly grabbing his face, bringing her lips to his. He made a noise of exclamation, before grabbing her hips and deepening the kiss. She slowly retreated from him, lingering a couple seconds before fully stepping away. He opened his eyes, mischief dancing in his eyes. "That's better." She moved to sit on his desk. "Is that all you called me here for?" she asked, frisky tones in her voice.

All playfulness left his eyes as he stood straighter. Ivy was alarmed as she stood too. "What happened?" she asked, already a mask of indifference settling in place. "I don't think this is going to work anymore," he said, pointing to both of them. Ivy bit out a harsh laugh. "You don't think this is not going to work anymore? Really? What are you running away from this time?" Matt sighed, "I am not running away, this is turning really dangerous. I am 6 years older than you Ivy. If they found out what we are," gesturing to them again, "we'll both lose our rank." Ivy sighed and looked around, she knew he had valid points, but it was the same thing every time. He gives good points, breaks them up then a couple months later just when she started thinking of really moving on, he comes back and sweeps her off her feet like her own Prince Charming.

She looked back at him. He looked so lost and it hurt her. She sighed and looked away again. Maybe she was tired with this relationship. It was a cycle and it was happening all over again. "M&M," she said. He looked surprised at the use of the old nickname but stayed quiet. "Maybe it's time for us to both move from this relationship. We have been going back forth in this for almost 2 years now. I think I am officially done." Even after the last statement she felt tears coming to her eyes. Matt kept her going through these hard years in the Army, and it was all crumbling down around her. She felt warm arms coming around her and her heart ached. He was always there to comfort her. She broke off from his hug and ran out of his office, immensely grateful when no one was around to see her breaking down.

* * *

Mariah Collen stared at the board in front of her, her hands itching to finish this problem and out the door. Her gaze shifted to the clock above the board. 2:10, she groaned, five more minutes. She glanced down at her problem. Right, concentrate. She reread the problem, but none of it was clicking. She hissed. _Come on Marian, this is first grade for you, just solve it and you're out the door._ But she couldn't read the words. She blinked, and blinked again. She looked around the room. Everyone else was furiously writing with their pens and pencils and here she was, not even able to read the damn question.

She looked up at the clock again. 2:12. What? Why was time passing so slowly? She could have sworn 4 minutes had passed already. She sighed, she was getting nowhere. Ever since 2 semester started she had been out of the loop, her minded going bananas. She had been getting sloppy and her parents noticed. Maybe she should have waited a year to take the…The shrill of the bell knocked her back to her senses. She glanced around as she saw kids packing up and turning in their sheet of paper. She looked at the sea of people at the door and thought about using them for cover to escape the classroom. She nodded, grabbed her stuff and headed towards them, her plan of getting in them was in motion.

Until Mrs. Nillure called her name. "Mariah, can I see you?" Mariah thought about acting like she didn't hear and keep going, but she knew her hesitation to walk out the door was too obvious. She sighed then headed to her teacher's desk, head held high. She stopped only a few steps away to where the older lady was waiting. "You wanted to see me Mrs. Nillure?" "Yes, Mariah, I just realized that I didn't get your paper today after class. You seemed in a rush to leave." _Of course I wanted to leave your class as soon as possible._ "Right, yes, the paper. Let me just check." Mariah could feel the panic setting in as she was 'searching' for the paper. She needed an out and she needed an out now. She glimpsed up at her teacher, who was waiting expectantly. She gave her a shaky smile before rummaging through her bag again. She sighed, today was not her day. "Mariah." Mariah looked her teacher, not being able to read the expression on her face. "Because you have managed to keep an A in my class while no one else has, I will let you off this once. But only this once. I do not want you falling behind. Am I clear?" "Crystal," Mariah squeaked before dashing out of the room. As soon as she got to her car she collapsed, breathing heavily. She called her best friend Meg. It went straight to voicemail. She was tired, mentally, physically, emotionally. She was tired of all this. Yeah she needed a vacation. A very long one while.


	3. Chapter 2

"I am not sure this is a good idea Captain." The deep baritone voice startled Will Lennox from reading the papers in front of him. "What isn't a good idea?" "The new female recruits." Will sighed and closed his folder, giving his full attention to the Autobot leader. "There is nothing I could do about it Optimus. The president himself gave us the orders." Optimus sighed, "How do you know we can trust these girls." "We don't."

* * *

"Samantha Bress." Scarlett looked up from her seat, watching the short girl walk across the room to the police officer at the door. She looked down at the seat. After she lunged at her probation officer, security guards burst through the door, probably hearing the commotion. She was arrested and shoved out the door, all the while screaming obscenities at John. "Scarlett Haynes?" Scar looked up and was slightly surprised at the man standing by the gate. He was dressed in a military uniform and looked out of place amongst the criminals surrounding the room. She stayed silent, watching the soldier glance around the room. She wondered why he was calling her. She was waiting to be shown in front of a jury to get her jail time.

Maybe there was a bigger punishment for her. She smirked when the soldier started to look uncomfortable. He called her name again. She swiftly looked away from him, making sure he didn't catch her eye. A police officer finally walked over to him, talking to him quietly. Scarlett pretended not to pay attention to them, but kept track of their movements. The police officer finally turned, before briefly pointing towards her. The army man nodded before heading towards her, confidence now lacing his steps. Scarlett looked at him directly now, making sure she knew what she was dealing with.

His hair was neatly combed and he had soft grey eyes, but a sharp nose. He was handsome in an eerie way. The soldier stopped a few steps from her, taking her in, studying her. Not to disappoint, she pushed her chest out, letting some of her cleavage show. As expected, his eyes immediately dropped there. In a couple minutes she'd have him eating out of her hand. He glanced back at her, meeting her eyes. She grinned at him, making sure to show her pearl whites. Something flashed behind his eyes, but it went away before she could catch it. "Scarlett Haynes?" It wasn't a question, it was more of a confirmation.

She gave a short nod, rising when he motioned for her to follow. He waited for her, then turned and let out the door. Apparently he wasn't one to talk. Another girl that was sitting next to Scarlett smiled and mouthed to her, _He's cute._ Scarlett winked before walking after him. He led her to the drop area where a military car was waiting. Scar stiffened and looked around, already on high alert. She calculated any escape route possible. If she ran for it, there was a chance he might catch her. But if she was fast enough, she could keep him trailing her until she ran to the Dark District, which was only a couple blocks away. Scarlett started turning, as if only being curious in her surroundings. She counted to five. One, two, three…On three she started taking small steps away from the man, who was too busy talking to someone through the car window. Four…Five. She took off, her boots pounding on the cement as she pumped her legs toward safety. She was already three feet away when she heard the shout.

"Oh, shit." She heard the footsteps behind her. A building was right there and she took a sharp left behind it. She didn't pause, her breath coming in short burst, adrenaline circling her whole system. She was almost to the next building before something tangled in her legs, making crash to the ground, hard. She hissed and stared down at her legs. What the hell? Were those bolas? Who the hell used those things? The soldier approached her. She was hissing, almost like a cornered cat. Her eyes were flaring in anger, different from the playfulness he saw before. He grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up, before started dragging the girl to the truck. The whole time she was snarling, spitting out biting words at him. "I hope you're worth all the trouble," he muttered. A part of her registered that this was the first time he talked, but she was too busy swearing at herself. She was so close to freedom, so close.

He pushed her in the car. She sneered at him, before settling in quietly. Might as well make herself comfortable, this might be a long ride. The soldier was amazed at the transition by her. One minute she's hissing and swearing the next, she's quiet and cunning. The fury in her eyes settled, the regular emerald green settling back in. He stared at her, wondering what secrets this girl held, and why the government was working so hard to keep her.

* * *

Ivy stomped to Matt's office anger seething in every step she took. It had taken her hours to get herself together, to clean herself up before she showed her face back out into the crowd. Now three days later, Matt called her to his office, for 'urgent' news. She knew this wasn't urgent. He just wanted to see her again, maybe rekindle things. Well she was not having that. No, she's going to tell that they were done, there was no way she was crawling back to his arms. She was about to bang open the door, before she remembered her manners. She knocked as timidly as she can, which was very timid in this attitude, when a "Come in." came from inside.

She threw open the door. "Listen Matt, I don't want to deal with this right now…" A loud cough interrupted her and she realized there were other people in the room. She flushed. Matt stared at her, surprise echoing in her eyes. She looked at the one man in the room, he had raised eyebrows. "Is there something wrong, Officer Sanders?" he asked. Ivy felt heat rise up in her cheeks more. "Umm…no sir." She glimpsed at his uniform, he was wearing colors for a captain. "Officer Sanders." The voice of Matt drew her attention away from the Captain. "Yes sir." She always hated calling him sir, it was a reminder of what they really were and who they couldn't be. "Captain Lennox has some information for you."

She glanced back at Captain Lennox. Lennox knowing it was his time to speak started, "It has come to my attention that the division I work for is low in numbers. I am looking for more people to recruit to my division." "What division is that sir?" Lennox's eyes hardened, "That's classified." Ivy knew the subject was closed. "Well sir, I'd be happy to help sort out people to switch to your division. Just give me a couple days…" She was interrupted again by Lennox. "I apologize I wasn't clear in what I was saying. We are not looking for more people. We are merely looking for one." It took Ivy a full 30 seconds to understand what was being said.

"Do you mean me sir?" she asked. "Your general has giving me good words about you and says you would be an excellent addition to my team." Ivy swiftly turned her head to stare at Matt. He was looking down, not even meeting her eyes. This is why he dumped her, he knew she was going to be sent away and he didn't even tell her. Ivy turned back to the expectant captain. "Captain, may I have a word with my General privately?" Lennox nodded and quietly walked out, shutting the door behind him. Ivy swallowed, "You knew I was switching divisions didn't you." Matt kept his head down, but she knew he was listening. "You knew and you didn't tell me, didn't tell me why you were ending things, making me believe that I wasn't good enough for you."

Ivy was trying so hard to not let her voice crack. She was angry, hurt, and delighted. It sickened her that she was delighted that Matt thought she was good enough to be changed into a higher division. "I love you Ivy, I do. But I couldn't deal with the pain of the thought of you leaving." Ivy scowled at him. "You're a coward, Matt," she jeered at him. "I am going to go accept the Captain's offer. It's finally time I got away from the likes of you." "Good it would be good for you." Ivy glared at him, "You don't know what's good for me, if you did, you wouldn't have gotten involved with me two years ago." She saw him wince and a tiny part of her regretted what she said, but only a tiny part of her. He finally looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers. She didn't bother reading him, she didn't need that baggage anymore. She gave him one last, sad smile, one that held every happy memory they had and wrapped it up in a little chest and locked it shut. "Goodbye Matt," she whispered before walking out to take Lennox's offer.

* * *

Mariah was trying to have a good day. It was Spring Break, her parents were out of the house and she was at home with a cool glass of lemonade and a good book. But something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't figure it out. She finished the 2,000 word essay on chemical bonds and she finished next week's homework and her scientific project, but she felt like she forgot something. A bulb lit up in her head as she gasped in horror. The job interview. The job interview for working at Chemical Vellrop Industries. Oh god, her parents were going to kill her. She hopped up and grabbed her cellphone, thumbing through her contacts to find the number. She gave a shout of success when she found it and immediately dialed the number. "Hello?" a male's voice came through. "Hi this is Mariah Collen, I am calling regarding the job interview for Vellrop Industries. I sadly missed the interview and I was wondering if the job was still open?" "Hmm, yes Ms. Collen. The job is still open." Mariah sighed out of release, "Oh thank god, what time could I do the interview?" "How about today?" came the response. "Today?" Mariah said, surprised etched in her voice. "Would that be a problem?" Mariah jumped from her seat, "No, no that won't be a problem. When and where?"

Mariah entered the small coffee shop, looking for anyone that resembled someone who might conduct an interview. "Ms. Collen?" Mariah turned and stared at the man who called her name. He was tall with tussled hair and warm brown eyes, he was older and handsome. And dressed in a military uniform. "Yes?" she asked, suspicion lacing her voice. "I am Captain William Lennox, director of N.E.S.T." "N.E.S.T.?" she asked. "Yes and if you would come with me I'll explain everything…" "Oh I was supposed to meet someone for an interview and I don't know you." Lennox chuckled. "Chemical Vellrop?"

Mariah wasn't surprised he knew about the interview, but it was creepy all the same. "I am the 'owner' of Chemical Vellrop." he said, smiling at her. Mariah blinked, of course he was A tiny hinge of annoyance was etched in her voice as she responded. "Alright, I'll listen but we do it here." She gestured towards the coffee shop. The Captain nodded and led her towards a table. The Captain explained everything to her, the real reason why he needed her. Mariah was surprise at the offer. An offer to go work at a military division that was classified to work as an intern of a scientist. Money would be sent to her family as well if she took the job. Mariah knew a good opportunity when she saw one. So before she even fully thought everything and the pros and cons, her mouth already shot out the words, "I'll do it." The surprise on the captain's face quickly vanished as he registered her. "Are you positive?" he asked. Mariah quickly weighed the pros and cons in her head. Yeah she was positive. She looked up at Lennox. "Yes, I am positive."


	4. Chapter 3

Mariah hated awkward tension. It made her very uncomfortable. And that's what was happening right now. After she had taken the job she had three days to pack up and say goodbye to her parents. Let's just say her parents weren't exactly happy about the requirements for the job, but hey if the job brings money to the family then so be it. But, back to the awkward tension. Actually it was only one person making the tension. And it was the gorgeous young woman in handcuffs sitting in front of her. She had long waving hair that was the color of blood. She wondered if it was natural, probably not. Her eyes though were interesting. One minute they were a bright emerald green, the next they're flaring a fiery inferno, and last, they could be an icy pale green.

Throughout the whole ride she had seen all three of them colors. She also had a perfect set of plump lips, which she had seen twist into every kind of smile, sneer, or scowl. Each one directed to a different person in the vehicle. She was glad she's the one that got the smile. The other girl in the vehicle was a woman dressed in a military uniform. She managed to get out of her only a name. Ivy Sanders. It was a pretty cool name. And she was pretty too, but not as pretty as the handcuffed girl. Ivy had sleek black hair that was in a proper ponytail. She also had bright baby blue eyes that scanned the car constantly. Mariah felt out of sorts around them. One was a military person, the other was a criminal, and she was the lowly intern that had no idea what she was encountering. Mariah wondered what adventures they'd be facing in this division called N.E.S.T.

* * *

Scarlett wasn't surprised when they put her in a detention center for three days. She was mildly surprised when they stuffed her in a vehicle filled with military personnel and two grown woman. One was dressed as if going to work with a grey pencil skirt and a white blouse. Her brown hair was curled and put in place with pins and she was wearing black ballet shoes. Her caramel eyes were bouncing everywhere, trying to understand everything. Scar smirked inside, this girl was too innocent. The other woman was a sleek professional woman with a military outfit on. She didn't seem the one for small talk. So these were her traveling buddies, how exciting. As soon as Scarlett settled in her seat, she felt two pairs of eyes on her.

She grinned internally, apparently she drew attention wherever she goes. She wanted to learn more about the people she was driving with. Scarlett grinned, again drawing the attention towards her. "So what is your name?" she asked in the friendliest voice she could muster. The innocent girl looked at her before responding. "Mariah," she said. Her voice was sweet and sugary as if she never faced anything corrupt in her life. The other one responded in a monotone voice, "Ivy Sanders." Scarlett studied her before drawing conclusions. She had just came out of a relationship and that had taken a toll on her and she was trying to cover it up as if she had no feelings or care in the world. Yeah, Scar could read right through her.

Scarlett continued her game. "I am Samantha Bress." She used the name of the girl from the local detention center from where she was staying. Mariah smiled while Ivy blankly looked at her. "So why are you in handcuffs?" Mariah had the courage to ask. Scar decided to humor her. "Because they match my outfit," she drawled. Mariah immediately lost some of her brightness at that sentence and stayed silent for a long time. Scarlett paused for a moment contemplating where they were actually headed. She knew it was a military base from what she gathered. She also knew it held secrets, she just had to figure them out. What fun that would be.

* * *

Ivy was already regretting taking the position. Right now she was stuck in an old car with a peppy 20 year old and a criminal capable of who knows what. She sighed and closed her eyes, wishing they were already at the base. She missed her home and her family. She called them yesterday to tell them that she was going to be out of contact for a couple of months. They were exactly pleased with it but, it was her line of work. The vehicle shook a little bit before settling back down. Ivy opened her eyes and glanced at her travel buddies, Mariah was playing with a curl and seemed to be lost in her own world.

Samantha was fiddling with het handcuffs. Ivy smirked inwardly, she knew what kind of handcuffs they were. They were the most complicated handcuffs the government had, they were impossible to take off. Ivy thought about telling Samantha, but then decided to let her figure it out herself. She would probably give up in a couple minutes anyway. Ivy closed her eyes again. A couple of minutes later a loud click caught her attention. She opened her eyes and looked around, apparently the click got everyone's attention. Even Mariah took a break from her la la land. Ivy glanced at Samantha, who was twirling her cuffs around her finger. Ivy dropped her jaw in shock. She glanced around the car but no one made a move against the girl. Ivy was shocked, who the heck was this girl?

Mariah was surprised that no one said anything when Samantha opened her cuffs like a professional. Well maybe she was. As she pondered whether to put Samantha in her danger list or not, the car slowly came to a stop. The doors opened to reveal the giant base of N.E.S.T.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Forgot to put one on in earlier chapters. I don't own anything except Scarlett, Ivy, and Mariah. I love everyone who reviewed, thank you so much. Now Chapter 4!**

* * *

Scarlett stared at the size of the military base. It was colossal, it was enormous. The soldiers grabbed the useless cuffs from her hand and were about to put them on her when a voice told them to stop. She turned to face an older, handsome man. He gave the soldier's a nod of dismissal.

"Good Afternoon, Ladies." Ivy, Mariah, and Scarlett gave Lennox their undivided attention.

"As most of you know my name is Captain William Lennox, I am the caretaker for this base. You are all here for different reasons of which I won't speak of." He shot a pointed look at Scarlett. She merely blinked.

"I'll show you around the base. There are areas in this base from which you are not allowed to enter. There is also confidential things in there that if they were leaked it would cause trouble everywhere. Also, if anyone of you caused trouble, you would be shipped out of here so fast your head would spin, am I understood?"

Ivy gave a sharp nod and a small, "Yes sir." Mariah nodded twice and Scarlett stood quiet. Lennox seemed pleased with that and ordered the soldiers to grab the possessions of the ladies. The girls watched silently as the men grabbed their bags. Lennox nodded at them before bringing his attention back to the girls.

"Come on, I'll show you around." He strode away and the girls silently followed.

Inside the hangar was even larger than the outside. There were really high ceilings and platforms everywhere. Scarlett whistled approvingly.

"You must have pretty tall people here," she said thoughtfully. Will smiled before continue down the hallway to barracks. He had separated three rooms to house the three women. On their way there they passed a hangar where military cars were parked. Ivy and Scarlett stopped to inspect them. They didn't look military, they looked like average fancy cars. There was a GMC Topkick C4500 pickup truck, a yellow with black stripes Chevrolet Camaro, a lime green Search and Rescue Hummer H2, a silver Chevrolet Centennial Corvette convertible, a bright yellow Lamborghini Countach, a lime green and red Chevrolet BEAT, and last but not least a blue semi-truck Peterbilt 379 with red flames on it. Scarlett smiled favorably. The truck was gorgeous, the flames very enticing. Will called them and Scar and Ivy rushed back towards where they were waiting.

"I see you found our guilty pleasure."

"Those are gorgeous cars." Mariah said, glancing back at them again.

"Yeah well the people who chose them have really good taste." Lennox continued walking. Scarlett knew that that sentence had hidden meaning in it, she just didn't know what it was. She gave the cars a farewell glance before walking back to Lennox.

After another hallway he stopped at a set of doors. With the amount of twist and turns Scarlett wondered if they were going to need guides everywhere they went.

"Well here we are." He finally said gesturing to the doors ahead of them. He opened one and held the door open, silently offering the girls a chance to see. Scarlett peered inside. It was small, a simple dresser and a bed, the only things in the room.

"I call this one," Mariah's voice piped.

Scar rolled her eyes before ducking out, waiting patiently for Mariah's things to be delivered so she can get to her own room. Ivy stood next to her, her eyes faded. Scar wasn't used to having friends or acquaintances but she decided to make Ivy one, who seemed troubled in her own right.

"Ivy," she called. Ivy eyes snapped back with intelligence as they focused on Scarlett. As Ivy waited expectantly, Scarlett realized she didn't know what to say next. She decided to veer on a safe subject.

"Those cars right?"

Ivy gave a quirk of her lips before she settled back to her blank expression. She had just nodded her head. Scarlett pursued her lips; _I guess she doesn't want to be friends._ Scarlett didn't let that deter her from her mission. She was about to open her mouth when Lennox walked out of the room, Mariah already cozied up in there.

"Come on, I'll show you the rest of your rooms." The girls followed him quietly, both wondering what this room will be like.

 **Ivy's POV**

Ivy didn't like her room, it was confining and stuffy and the bed sheets were scratchy and not at all comfortable. She admitted that in her old base, the women were given more comfortable bed sheets than the men, so she was just used to being pampered. She vowed to change that. A knock on the door startled her thoughts and she went to open the door. A short man stood there, he looked uncomfortable and shy. She gave him a small smile, the first one since she got here. The soldier grew red at the sight of the smile and cleared his throat.

"Captain Lennox asked me to come fetch you to the cafeteria for dinner."

Ivy thought about it for a minute. She wasn't hungry, but she was curious. She nodded, "Hold up a minute." With that she ducked back into her room to grab her shoes.

They walked down the hall together. At the end of the hall, she saw Mariah and Samantha with their own escorts. Mariah was dressed in sweats, a plain t-shirt, and sandals. Samantha next to her was dressed in tight jeans, a leather bomber jacket and a nice black blouse. Her black boots were gorgeous too, with nice sharp studs on them. What was her deal with black anyway? Ivy looked down at her own outfit. A comfortable pair of jeans and a shirt that hung off her shoulder. She shrugged; she wasn't trying to impress anyone anyway. Ivy sighed, and then noticed there was tension in the hallway. Mariah was half turned away from Samantha, throwing wary glances her way. The soldiers were watching Samantha too, hands on their weapons, ready to draw at any moment. The worst part was that Samantha seemed to take all this with stride. She appeared nonchalant, as if she didn't care that in moments she could get tasered. Ivy blanched, who the hell was this girl? She was tired of the lack of answers. Ivy cleared her head and walked past them, pretending not to notice the situation and followed the man leading them. She didn't want these girls to ruin this good opportunity here. And she knew that she's the one who will actually be working here and find out all the secrets of this base. Yeah, in a couple months, she'd know them all.

 **Mariah's POV**

Mariah was immensely grateful when Ivy had finally arrived to the scene. It was really weird and the tension was unnerving. She hadn't seen the incident but she knew something had happened because everyone was really wary around Sam, she had nicknamed her because constantly saying Samantha was tiring, which meant she had to be wary too. It sucked because she honestly thought was Sam as a work-in-progress friend. Mariah glanced at Sam, who was working on a button on her leather jacket. Mariah admitted that Sam really did look good in black, especially the pants, which hugged her curves. She was gorgeous and Mariah felt a pang of jealousy hit her. No, she was better than that, Sam was a friend, or as much as a friend she can be, but a friend. And Mariah did not get jealous of friends. So she put a smile on her face and turned to Sam.

"So, what happened out there?"

Sam looked mildly surprised someone was talking to her but answered her.

"Nothing, just male buffoons acting macho." Mariah grinned; Sam was once again on her friend list. A set of doors opened before them to reveal tables and benches with a line for food. Mariah tummy rumbled desire for food. She immediately got in line, surveying the dishes for dinner.

Ivy looked for a table to sit, most of them already taken by men. She watched as Samantha marched up to a table and sat down as if she owned it. The men that were sitting there gave her looks but ignored her, or at least most of them did. A brave soul leaned towards her and said something to her. Ivy blinked as Samantha smiled at him. They seemed to start a conversation. Ivy wondered how people warmed to her. Ivy saw Mariah step up to the table and sat across Samantha. She sighed, to hell with it. Ivy walked to the table and sat next to Mariah. Mariah gave her a welcoming smile and turned back to the conversation. They were talking about their jobs until Mariah spoke.

"So why were you arrested?" she asked. Ivy stiffened, waiting for the reaction of Samantha. Samantha merely smiled at Mariah.

"What makes you think I was arrested?"

Mariah didn't back down, "Well because you were in handcuffs." Samantha tilted her head, the smile withering away.

"Maybe you shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answers to." With that she stood and strode away. Ivy glanced at Mariah, who had quit smiling and was looking down at her lap. Ivy felt bad for the girl.

"Maybe you shouldn't pry into other people's lives." Mariah brown eyes snapped up and met Ivy's. She looked mad, not at all like the girl Ivy met. "Yeah you're probably right. Of course it's wrong to be curious." The harsh tone was new coming from Mariah. Mariah got up and stalked away, leaving Ivy with the military man who was silent during the whole exchange. Ivy sighed and stood up as well, giving a brief goodbye to the man before striding to the safety of her room. Yes, curiosity was definitely a bad thing.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my three girls. Sorry for taking so long to update, I have been having writer's block. Thank you everyone who is following this store. :)**

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Mariah sat on her bed and waited for the knock on her door. The past week had been unpleasant. She didn't come out of her room unless to shower or eat. She thought that Sam and Ivy did the same, for their room doors were always closed. Today was the day that she would be finally doing what she was hired for. She was nervous because she hadn't met her boss and she didn't know what she would be working on. The knock on her door broke her out of her thoughts. Mariah opened the door to a half-smiling Lennox. She smiled back before stepping out of her room and closing the door behind her. She gestured for him to go ahead. Lennox walked and Mariah followed him, still not familiarized with the base. After a minute of silence he said, "Your boss is named Ratchet and he-"

"Ratchet? What kind of name is that?" Mariah interrupted.

"A useful one."

Lennox responded not seeming fazed by the question. He walked faster and Mariah skidded to follow him. "He gets annoyed easily but he is harmless. Also try to stay on his good side, he has been known to throw wrenches." Wrenches? Mariah was increasingly getting more nervous. Lennox grabbed a radio that was on his shoulder and talked through it, "Tell Ratched we're on our way and to be prepared." Lennox reattached the radio and continued walking. They walked for a couple more minutes before they stopped at a set ginormous doors. Lennox pressed a hand on scanner that read his palm. The scanner was so small compared to the doors. It blinked green and there was a booming sound. Mariah gasped and took a step back, watching as the doors slowly peeled open, it reminded of her of something like the gates of heaven. Lennox grinned at her reaction and confidently stepped through the doors, gesturing for her to follow. She did, eyes still on the godlike doors. She followed Will into an office where he sat and typed on his computer.

"I am giving you a badge and programming your prints to the system so you have clearance to this part of the base." Mariah was still, for the first time in a long while, she had no words. A beep sounded and then a card was popping out of a printer, her picture on it. Lennox grabbed the card and put it inside a clear pocket that hung around her neck. He handed her the badge, grinning at her.

"You're all set."

 **Ivy's POV**

Ivy shifted the gun from her left hand to her right, gripping it, the familiar feel of power rushing through her. She aimed the gun at the target, narrowing her eyes at it, her legs steeling themselves. She drew in a steady breath and fired. The bullet wasn't in the direct middle, but it was close enough. She dropped her arm, fingers still clinging to the gun. "Nice shot." Ivy turned to the voice. A dark man grinned at her, hands on his hips. "Thanks," she said, walking to the armory where the weapons were stored. "Name's Epps."

"Ivy." She closed the gate of the armory and started walking towards the exit. Epps fell in step with her. "Are you new?" he asked. "Yes."

"Did you come in with the other girls?" "Yes."

"Are you coming to training in the afternoon?" "Yes."

"Do you know about the..." he trailed off. Ive turned her head, throwing him a questioning glance.

"Do I know what?" she asked, still walking.

"You know the...umm..." he looked around.

"The..." Ivy said expectantly.

"Aww shit you don't know." He looked sheepish and annoyed.

"I don't know what?" Ivy was getting annoyed as well.

"Don't worry about it, Lennox will tell you before training tomorrow." Epps dashed away before Ivy can ask him anything. She huffed and went back to her trek to the cafeteria, wondering what Epps was talking about. She was getting tired of everyone hiding something. She grabbed her tray of breakfast and sat down, welcoming the empty room and the silence. She picked at her food and wondered about the training later today. It was the first session for her, and the first time she will meet everyone on the team. And according to Epps, a big reveal was going to occur. She sighed, missing the easy life she had before she enlisted. She missed her family and her brothers. She missed the friends she made in the old division, and the most disapproved one of all, she missed Matt. She closed her eyes and took in a breath, she had training later, she didn't any distractions. So she shoved the food down her throat and stood up, not bothering to get her tray, she needed rest before the training session the afternoon had to offer, the afternoon that she didn't know would alter her life.

 **Scarlett's POV**

Scarlett sat in the empty room, her fingers gliding over the smooth top of the desk. She scanned the room and zeroed in on the frame on a bookshelf. She stood up, and walked towards it, her boots squeaking slightly on the floor. She grabbed the frame and studied it. It was a woman holding a newborn baby in her arms. The woman was blond and pretty, young and dressed in pink. The baby had blue eyes, evident in the sharpness of the photo. The door to the office opened but Scarlett didn't bother to move, still studying the photo. "Your daughter?" she asked.

"Yes," Will responded walking to the seat behind the desk.

"How old is she know?"

"She just turned two."

Scarlett flinched, a smile touching her lips. "Ouch." Will sighed, a small smile adorning his face as well.

"Yeah tell me about it. She's growing up way too fast, and not losing energy at all."

Will stopped and looked at her, a mask setting in. Scarlett knew that look, it was the look someone put on when they felt they said too much and they withdrew from the conversation. She put the frame back on the shelf and sat down on the chair across from him, crossing her arms, her own mask setting in.

"I've heard Ms. Sanders and Ms. Collen call you Samantha. Care to explain that?"

Straight to the point, Scar liked that. She grinned and replied, "Got to keep up the mystery." Will shook his head and opened a drawer from his desk, pulling out a file. He dropped the file on the counter and pushed it toward her. Scarlett picked it up and flipped through it, her eyes and face staying the same, showing no reaction. After she finished she put it back on the desk, shooting a questioning glance his way.

"This is your last chance Ms. Haynes, before you end up in prison. And I think you don't want to end up there. Now I don't know why you have had some many chances and why the leaders feel like you are important but hear me out. If you ever do anything to endanger any of my men and our mission, I will hand you back to them without consent and hope to god you end up in that prison. This is your last chance Scarlett Haynes, make it count."

Scarlett stayed silent for a moment before responding, "I am not important. The information I hold is important. The threat I hold is important. The history I carry is important. Not me. So hear me out Captain. I am by no means a person who doesn't know consequences, I have lived with consequences my whole life. So if you pose a threat to my mission, there will be hell to pay." She leaned back in her seat, a predatory grin on her face.

"Captain, you don't know what I am capable of, you don't know the danger I hold, you don't know who I am. And that's what scares you," she said. She stood up, "We'll see who breaks first," then walked out the door, leaving Lennox to ponder in stunned silence.

 **Mariah's POV**

Mariah stared at the man in front of her, wondering why she agreed to take this job. The man stared back, his fingers clenched around the wrench, turns out they weren't kidding about the wrench. He was young, looking around in his early thirties. He had glasses and had a lab coat on, and he was pretty tall. But what Mariah caught the most were his blue eyes. They were so blue they were almost glowing. He was handsome, and Mariah was already heading down the direction of a crush, that is, until he opened his mouth. His first words were:

"Aren't you a little too young to be touching this kind of equipment?" Oh that pissed her off. If she was too young then she wouldn't be here right now. So she puffed up her chest and tried to be as reasonable as possible.

"Yes I am old enough to be here. I know all this equipment like the back of my hand. I have trained and studied to be able to do a job like this and I won't let you ruin it."

With that she strode past him and walked fully inside the laboratory the Doctor apparently worked in. She took noticed again the giant ceilings that seem to be everywhere. As she was looking around her eyes bloomed open as she realized what she was looking at. There were giant metal sized beds along the far side of the wall. It had giant equipment next to it and metal parts strewn around. She didn't think she'd want to know what experiments the government conducted with that. She heard the doctor or 'Ratchet' as everyone so fondly calls him walk up next to her, his hands holding a tablet. She turned a questioning gaze his way and he simply shrugged and responded.

"You'll find out what it is soon enough. We can't keep secrets forever, especially in here." Mariah swallowed and looked back at the metal beds. "I don't know if I want to know."


	7. Chapter 6

**I want to give a shout out to all those who have reviewed for this piece: RogueReaper, Don't judge me I am a Fangirl, and BooBoo33, thank you so much for reviewing it really inspired me to work on this more an I love how far along I got with this. I actually wasn't going to post anything today but then I realized it's been so long since I had posted I decided to do it. So the next chapter might not come till a very, very, very long time. But I hope all who are following this are up for the long haul. Anyway, Chapter 6. Love you all. Also, the first time one of our girls meet an Autobot so...**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my three girls. They are all mine and they are precious and I love them.**

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 **Ivy's POV**

Ivy balanced between her toes and her heel as she waited in line with the soldiers of her new team. She was usually more disciplined than this fidgeting but the nerves of finally knowing this 'major secret' was getting to her. She looked down her line to see other soldiers doing the same thing. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was new here. She gave a small smile to herself before a hush settled over the men. Captain Lennox arrived on scene and started scanning up and down the line. The men and only woman, it would seem, saluted him before settling after he stated at ease. Lennox cleared his voice.

"I know you all are anxious to hear the truth about the rumor going around base. But that's going to have to wait."

Lennox grabbed a clipboard that was handed to him and started calling out names. Ivy knew she was one of the people on bottom of that list because her last name started with an S. But she was more anxious about the supposed rumor or secret or whatever they call it. She had waited so long to hear it that she was starting to wonder if it was real or not.

"Sanders, Ivy."

Ivy looked up, calling out a "Here!" drawing attention from the men who didn't notice there was a woman on their team. She shrank away from the limelight and was relieved when the Captain called another name. After he finished with roll call, Lennox sighed before addressing them again.

"What you are about to see is highly classified. Any word of this gets out about this, it can cause havoc all over the world. I need your sweared secrecy regarding this."

Lennox passed around papers to the soldiers. Ivy looked down at hers.

 _Highly classified...utter discrimination...consequences._

Ivy signed her name on the line and passed her contract to Lennox. After that was done, Lennox gestured for them to follow him. Ivy walked directly behind him as he took a turn to a giant set of godlike doors. Ivy stared, wondering what on earth those doors could be used for. Lennox stepped up to a plate on the wall that had a handprint. He pressed his palm on there, and a loud rumbling noise occurred. Ivy gasped and took a few steps back, joining a few soldiers scurrying for cover. The doors opened to show a huge hangar with platforms lined with computers. They were soldiers bustling left and right and equipment everywhere. Ivy walked, already feeling the familiarity and a sense of home. The fancy cars she saw a couple days before were there was well. Lennox yelled out, "Clear the area!" and immediately soldiers hustled out of the way. The area was soon cleared except for Lennox, Epps, and the new recruits. Ivy waited as Lennox walked up to the Peterbilt semi-truck, before returning to the recruits.

"For most or maybe all you, this would come as a shock. I know this might seem scary, but you'll soon understand."

"Sir?" a soldier asked.

"I'll let them show you." Lennox said before stepping back turned to face the cars.

There was a clicking noise before a rumble and sounds of metal shifting against metal surrounded the room. Ivy croaked and scuttled backwards, the same happening with other alarmed men. The metal noises stopped. Ivy stared horrified at the 8 beings standing before her. _Robots,_ was the first thing that came to her mind. Giant sized robots. She was in shock and her breaths came in short bursts. This was not what she signed up for. _Oh no no no…_ Ivy rumpled backwards. Once her feet gained momentum she was ready to fully take off but the a deep voice stopped her.

"Wait...we mean you no harm." Ivy glanced up at the robot and almost shrieked as she realized it was talking her. It's form was blue and red and she realized it had the same decorations as the Peterbuilt semi. _Oh god no…_ Lennox was shouting but it fell to deaf ears as everyone was panicking. Ivy was the only one standing still, watching the giant robot look at the chaos it created. It seemed to have a weird expression on its face, almost an emotion filled one, which was stupid because it was a robot, but she had the distinct feeling that it could feel.

"See Optimus I told you this would happen, I don't why you agreed to this." Ivy turned her gaze to another robot, this one slightly shorter that the red and blue one, but stockier, wider. His paint job was black, with a few scuffs on his arms. The robot met her eyes before he grunted and turned away.

It took about an hour to get everyone calmed down and and everything explained. Ivy tuned in some parts but ignored the rest, the shock stumbling out of her system. She slumped against the wall, her stomach churning. She wondered if they would let her go, if they would allow her to leave the base. Probably not, but she didn't want to be here, she wanted to go home, wanted to be away from here. Everybody, even the robots, looked weary. She sighed, banging her head against the wall. Lennox walked over to her and nudged her.

"I know you are probably surprised and upset…"

"Yeah! I am surprised...what you weren't?" Lennox looked away.

"I was...but I got used to the idea. I came to know theses guys, they became my friends."

"They?" Lennox looked at her.

"They're not robots, they are robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron…"She cut him off. "Yeah I get it. Heard it before. I am thinking that this all a big dream and I am going to wake up." Lennox nodded,

"Yeah I know, it takes some time getting used to, but it-it's-it's real. And once you realize that and come to know these guys…" She shrugged and watched warily as the 'robotic organisms' spoke with the soldiers.

 **Mariah's POV**

She watched silently as Ratchet worked on a piece of machinery in front of her. She wasn't an engineer, more comfortable in the area of chemistry, but she found this work fascinating. Ratchet put down his tools mumbling to himself before looking up. Mariah gave an amused smile because it seemed that Ratchet had forgotten she was there.

"What kind of metal is that?" she asked, watching a few sparks come out from the heat of his torch.

"Umm...it's..uh...it's classified." Ratchet fumbled a bit but the nodded his concentration back on track. Mariah frowned, she was entitled to know, right? She had clearance, right?

"I think can know, I have clearance, look Captain Lennox gave me this badge." She lifted the badge from around her neck and showed him. Ratchet looked confused for a minute, as if asking why would Lennox do that, then distressed.

"Umm...government secrets, this is one of them...I can't tell you until I am given permission."

She scowled, "Fine can you at least tell me what you are doing, I am here to help you know."

Ratchet paused, before nodding at walking away. Mariah stood still, not fully knowing what to do, he just disappeared behind a wall in the room. A couple minutes and Mariah shuffled a little, impatience started to take over her frame. He finally came back, in his hands a blue liquid, shiny, inside a bottle. He stopped in front of her and slowly extended his hand. She gently reached over and took the bottle from his hands, looking at it, the blue color enticing, and something she hadn't seen before.

"Study it, understand it, know it. After you know all this, what that blue liquid is, you are allowed all the knowledge, the secret of this base."

Mariah stared at him, _what could make this blue liquid so precious?_

"That's a lot of pressure."

"And I have the feeling you do well under pressure," Ratchet said, giving her a nod.

Mariah grinned, bringing the bottle closer to her, "Oh I do." Ratchet nodded and went back to his machinery, studying it before picking his tools again. "Hey but wait...what is so important about this liquid? Is it flammable? Is it in the periodic table? Doesn't it have any relations…"

"Yes, no, no. Now that I answered your questions, may I get back to work?"

"But you haven't told me why it's important."

"I have a thought that you will figure it out as you study it."

"Is it alien?"

 **Scarlett's POV**

 **"** Specialized training?"

William Lennox nodded leaning against the desk in his office, where Scarlett found herself to 2 days in a row. What a coincidence…

"We can't have you roaming around the halls and plan escapes-And don't say you haven't! I have seen that look on your face, you're planning something." Scarlett snapped her mouth shut and glowered at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And how would you know I won't use these skills to get out of this base?"

"Because I will have an escort you at all times. He will be there to pick you up from your room at 7:00 and drop you have at 6."

"What? No absolutely not. I refuse to bend to your will."

"Is this just because you don't want to get up at 7?"

"...maybe. Doesn't matter."

Lennox sighed, massaging his forehead. "You have no say in the matter. I am the Captain of this base so you will train, and you will get up at 7. Be glad I don't make you start earlier."

Scarlett stood up from her seat, pushing the chair away from her. "I am not one of your army pups, you don't own me."

"As long as you're residing on my base and the president gave me custody of you and you are interacting with my men, I do own you."

Scarlett looked livid, her green eyes flashing at him. "Fine," she snapped, stalking off to exit. She paused at the door before asking, "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow morning. And your escort is named Edward Lynch, you do well listening to him."

The sound of the door slamming sent a wave of satisfaction through him, he felt that at least he won that battle.

Outside the office, Scarlett stalked off, her whole body radiating anger. _How dare he control me as if I was one of his army dogs? That piece of-_

Her thoughts were caught off when she crashed into someone. She stumbled backwards and fell on her behind. _Great, just what I need..._

"Oh my apologies…" At the sound the voice she looked up. It was a man, tall, very tall. He had black cropped hair, and handsome features. But his eyes, his eyes were mesmerizing. They were a radiant blue and almost seemed to be shining. Scar usually didn't become enchanted or enticed by men but this one caught her off guard. And his voice, his voice was velvety, and deep, like a pleasant alluring melody. She could listen to it all night. But she didn't have all night. She scrambled up, staring at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah I am fine. Next time, watch you're going." She snapped at him, and part of her, a small part, felt kind of bad of her snapping, especially with the innocent look on his face.

"I am so sorry…" She left midway through his apology and walked away, leaving him behind. She needed a good night's sleep, especially with training tomorrow. She had a feeling that Lennox wasn't going to go easy on her. That's alright, since when didn't she like a challenge? After all, if living on the streets taught you one thing, its how to fight, and how to fight hard.


End file.
